Week 56
Date
October 2, 2017
Area
Fourth Area - Salem, OR
Companion
Elder Johnson and Elder Chamberlain
Week 56
Honestly, I can't think of a better holiday on the mission, other than Christmas, that tops General Conference! Oh yeah, it's classified as a holiday. 😉 The speakers were wonderful, and it always amazes me how every single minute detail of every question I bring to conference gets answered, whether by direct words I hear, or through the Spirit. On Saturday we viewed the sessions in the church with many of the other missionaries, and Sunday morning saw us again at the church, this time with an investigator. He enjoyed it a lot, and even saw himself how there is inevitably a theme or two of General Conference, even though it's never planned. What a miracle in and of itself! The Sunday afternoon session was spent with a member family, who also fed us delicious lunch. 😊 After Elder Anderson's talk, I remember thinking how short General Conference felt this year, and how I couldn't wait for next April to come! It was reaffirmed to me throughout the conference that we are truly led and guided by living prophets and apostles!
One night Elder Johnson and I were walking home after a particularly long day of walking, and were discussing spiritual promptings, and how we ideally act when we receive them. Just at that exact moment, as we walked by an apartment complex, I felt the overwhelming need to go into that complex. I told Elder Johnson, and together we decided to act on the prompting we received. We set off into the complex, not really knowing where we needed to go. We walked by an apartment, at the exact time as a man was walking out, and tried to talk to him. He was...negative in his response towards us, and told us he wasn't interested, and to keep moving. He wasn't the one we were looking for. :) We kept walking and looking for the person we had faith we were supposed to talk to, going through every section of the complex. It reminded me of Elder Uchtdorf's Fourth Floor, Last Door talk, from a few General Conferences ago. Just as we walked around the entire complex, there were two younger adults on their porch, just sitting there! We pretty much ran over to them, and started talking with them. It was interesting to see how at first, they were a little put off by us, and didn't want to talk, either. Yet, as we continued talking with them, and showed them that we cared about them, they opened up a lot, and by the time we left them, it felt like we were all old friends. They even gave us a referral! The lady we were talking with gave us the address of her sister, who happens to live in the same apartment complex as we do! We haven't been able to visit her yet, but we will this coming week for sure! After that experience, my faith was strengthened in knowing God is aware of each of us individually, and is willing and able to guide us IF we are willing to be led.
Many other neat experiences happens this past week, of following the Spirit to find people who were ready to hear our message, of opening our mouths, or having really spiritual lessons with our investigators. Last Monday we put one of our youth investigators, Kadyn, on date to be baptized on the 14th of this month! He's 13 years old, and has great desires to be baptized, and follow Jesus Christ. We're super excited for him! We also had a great lesson with Josh yesterday, who's a Junior in high school, and attending seminary even though he's not a member! He's progressing really well, too! Elder Johnson and I are so excited and motivated to be here right now, and work together!
Something else really crazy happened this past week! The whole mission got an email from the Assistants to the President about some new things that are going to be implemented in the Oregon Salem Mission! Because of the obedience and diligence of the mission so far, the Brethren have made the decision to make our mission a digital mission! That means we are getting smart phones for each of the area phones in the mission, that stay with the area when the missionaries move, and that we are getting access to use Facebook for proselyting purposes! We'll still keep the iPads, just add to what we already have! It's going to be such a big step in using technology in the mission, and we're going to be able to start touching the lives of our investigators more, and find ways more people to teach! It's going to be a great privilege, and I'm excited to see what will come of it! We're not sure to what extent people back home are going to be able to communicate with us to help us teach investigators, but to all you back home who don't have Facebook, I would encourage you to make one, since its going to be something I'm sure will help with missionary work! All these additions are going to come out in the next Zone Conference we have, which will be in another couple of weeks before we implement anything, I just wanted to make you all aware!
During personal study this past week, I came across a verse in 3 Nephi 19:35 "And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying he came again to the disciples, and said unto them: So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews; wherefore I could not show unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief." I thought about that verse for a long time, and finally concluded that I want to have faith like those disciples. In all that I do, I try to show my faith in Christ, and put my complete trust in Him. I know we have been blessed as we have put faith in Christ whole-heartedly, and have seen "so great miracles" in our area.
I love you all! Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Kehl
One night Elder Johnson and I were walking home after a particularly long day of walking, and were discussing spiritual promptings, and how we ideally act when we receive them. Just at that exact moment, as we walked by an apartment complex, I felt the overwhelming need to go into that complex. I told Elder Johnson, and together we decided to act on the prompting we received. We set off into the complex, not really knowing where we needed to go. We walked by an apartment, at the exact time as a man was walking out, and tried to talk to him. He was...negative in his response towards us, and told us he wasn't interested, and to keep moving. He wasn't the one we were looking for. :) We kept walking and looking for the person we had faith we were supposed to talk to, going through every section of the complex. It reminded me of Elder Uchtdorf's Fourth Floor, Last Door talk, from a few General Conferences ago. Just as we walked around the entire complex, there were two younger adults on their porch, just sitting there! We pretty much ran over to them, and started talking with them. It was interesting to see how at first, they were a little put off by us, and didn't want to talk, either. Yet, as we continued talking with them, and showed them that we cared about them, they opened up a lot, and by the time we left them, it felt like we were all old friends. They even gave us a referral! The lady we were talking with gave us the address of her sister, who happens to live in the same apartment complex as we do! We haven't been able to visit her yet, but we will this coming week for sure! After that experience, my faith was strengthened in knowing God is aware of each of us individually, and is willing and able to guide us IF we are willing to be led.
Many other neat experiences happens this past week, of following the Spirit to find people who were ready to hear our message, of opening our mouths, or having really spiritual lessons with our investigators. Last Monday we put one of our youth investigators, Kadyn, on date to be baptized on the 14th of this month! He's 13 years old, and has great desires to be baptized, and follow Jesus Christ. We're super excited for him! We also had a great lesson with Josh yesterday, who's a Junior in high school, and attending seminary even though he's not a member! He's progressing really well, too! Elder Johnson and I are so excited and motivated to be here right now, and work together!
Something else really crazy happened this past week! The whole mission got an email from the Assistants to the President about some new things that are going to be implemented in the Oregon Salem Mission! Because of the obedience and diligence of the mission so far, the Brethren have made the decision to make our mission a digital mission! That means we are getting smart phones for each of the area phones in the mission, that stay with the area when the missionaries move, and that we are getting access to use Facebook for proselyting purposes! We'll still keep the iPads, just add to what we already have! It's going to be such a big step in using technology in the mission, and we're going to be able to start touching the lives of our investigators more, and find ways more people to teach! It's going to be a great privilege, and I'm excited to see what will come of it! We're not sure to what extent people back home are going to be able to communicate with us to help us teach investigators, but to all you back home who don't have Facebook, I would encourage you to make one, since its going to be something I'm sure will help with missionary work! All these additions are going to come out in the next Zone Conference we have, which will be in another couple of weeks before we implement anything, I just wanted to make you all aware!
During personal study this past week, I came across a verse in 3 Nephi 19:35 "And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying he came again to the disciples, and said unto them: So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews; wherefore I could not show unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief." I thought about that verse for a long time, and finally concluded that I want to have faith like those disciples. In all that I do, I try to show my faith in Christ, and put my complete trust in Him. I know we have been blessed as we have put faith in Christ whole-heartedly, and have seen "so great miracles" in our area.
I love you all! Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Kehl
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